Seal for floating decks



De. 27, `1932. A. M. GRIFFIN SEAL FOR FLOATING DECKS Original Filed Feb.

j@ @l@g=@ ltatented Dec. 2?, 1932 ars-r avi-inrets cos,

unirse STATES PATENT ori-*lea ALVAH M. GRIFFIN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO CHICAGO BRIDGE & IRON COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORA- TION OF ILLINOIS` SEAL FOR FLOATING DECKS Application filed February 23, 1927, Serial No. 170,169. Renewed May 29, 1929.

This invention relates to a lseal for a floatinar deck such. for example. as is employed in oil storage tanks.

.in object of the present invention `is to provide a seal for a floatingr deck incorporating means for rendering the seal Ias-tight.

Another object of the pre-seni' invention is to provide a seal of lireproof construction.-

nother object of the present invention is to provide a seal of exceptional etlicieney and simplicity of construction and operation.

xVarious further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentfrom a description oi a preferred example of a seal for a il atingT deck embodying the present invention. For this purpose. reference is made to the accompanying drawing in which the seal is illustrated. r

ln the drawing:

Figure l is an elevation partially in ver ticalsection of a fragment of a floating` deck and tank disclosing the new seal construction in extended position,

Figure. Q is a similar View with the seal in the normal position,

Figure 3 is a similar View with the seal in compressed position,

Figure 4. is a development of the seal.y

Figure 5 isa section through the seal, and,

-Figure Gis a section lthrough the curtain disclosing the details of the joints in the curtain.

Referring to the drawing, 2 indicates the ,Lida wall of the tank employed. for example, in holdingr oil and 3 indicates a fragment of a floating deck mounted within the tank 2. said floating deck having' a bottom wall 4 and a circumi'erential wall The oating deek may be of the open or dish-pan construction or may have a top wall f3 definingP an enclosed air chamber T .and the tank may be formed in one or a plurality of sections with one or a plurality of enclosed air chambers. At the top of the circinnferential wall of the floating deck, there is bolted by bolts 8 sections of angle irons 9 to which are attached hinges 10. Said hinges support outer sealing plates 11 which extend downwardly into the liquid, supporting the tank 3, being curved inwardly at their lower ends as indicated at 12. The

outer sealing plates 12 each have one side offset as indicated at 153 in Figure 5, and adjacent sealing plats overlap in the offsets so thatl all of the sealing plates 11 have their outerwalls substantially flush. i

The bolts 8 also engage andV support the. upper end of a curtain 14 which extends continuously around the floating deck, the ends of the curtains being joined together by Wire staples 15 or other suitable means. Said curtain extends downwardly behind the sealing, plates 11 substantially to the lower end of the sealingr plates 11. The curtain is formed of a gas-tight material, such as an asbestos roofint;r or paper.

The curtain 14 is held pressed against the inner surface ofthe sealing plates 11 by loa der plates 16, one of which engages each of the sealing plates 1l. said loader plates beingt hinged to the side wall 5 of the floating deck as indicated at 1T. The loader plates extend downwardly to the curve-d portion of the sealing plates 11 and hence are curved rearwardly and serve to support the outer end of conical coilsprings 18, the other end ofwhich are attached to the side walls 5 of the floating deck 3, as indicated at 19.

The herein described seal is rendered gastightdue to the pressing of the curtain 14 y against the sealing platesby the loader plates and springs 15 and 18, thereby positively eutting off all passage of gas around the edge of the floating deck 3. In this manner, all of the gas from below the deck is prevented from escaping and accumulating on the top of the deck and any danger of fire thus entirely avoided.

While the device herein described is Well adapted to carry out the objects of the present invention, it is understood that various modifications and changes may be made Without departing from the principles of the invention and the invention includes all such modifications, changes, and substitution of equivalents as come within the scope' of the following appended claims.

It is to be noted that the curtain 14 is continuous and serves as a sealing liner for the plates 11. By means of this construction considerable, gas pressure can be held. In

' cases of excess pressure, the curtain 14 is pressed outwardly against the plates 11 and supported by the latter, thus preventing the curtain from tearing or ripping, or having its lower edge pulled out .of the iquid. There is thus provided a gas-tight Curtain that is also capable of withstanding or holding considerable pressure.

. I claim: l

l0 l. In a sealingr construction for volatile liquid, the combination of a tank for the liquid, a floating deck supported on the liquid in the tank, a plurality o plates hinged to the deck, means for yieldingly pressing the 15 plates against the Wall of the tank, and a continuous flexiblev gas-tight curtain sealing the space between the. deck and the plates, said e curtainl having its inner edge adjacent the deck and4 its outer edge adjacent the plates,

" and its intermediate portion of such forma- Jcion as to be movable under gas pressure into position as a sealing liner for the plates.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the curtain has its ,outer edge disk *posed below the'level of the liquid.

i 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the plates. are overlapping.

4.. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the curtain has its outer edge disposed 36 below the level of the liquid Aand in which the j plates are overlappin y l 5. Apparatus as c aimed in claim 1 in which the curtain has its outer edge adjacent the plates substantially at their point of contact with the Wall of the tank. y

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 in which the outer edge of the curtain is disd below the level of the liquid and is adjacent. the plates substantially at their point 40 of Contact with the Wall of the tank.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 9th day of February 1927. ALVAH M. GRIFFIN. 

